The Thruxton is the sportier, more athletic version of the Bonneville, in both looks and performance. It was originally handmade in 1965 for the purpose of endurance racing (its moniker comes from the track of the same name, where it won the top three spots in 1969). It’s now factory-made after being reintroduced in 2004 with modern components and a stock 96hp.
Maintaining its retro style, straight foundation line, and low weight, the Thruxton is a natural choice for anyone with café racer fever dreams. And if a solo-seater just doesn’t make practical sense, you can always go two-up with a new seat.
Building a custom motorcycle isn’t exactly a walk in the park. But turning customization into a viable full-time business is even harder. So it’s uplifting to see custom shops enjoying big measures of success. Spain’s Tamarit Motorcycles are in a good space right now. They opened four years ago as a two-man operation, and built…
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Triumph’s previous generation air-cooled modern classics are true sleepers, with stacks of potential waiting to be unlocked. Pick up a neat secondhand model, throw the right mods at it, and you’ll soon be giving newer machines a run for their money. That’s exactly what France’s FCR Original have done here. Starting with a 2015-model Triumph…
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We’re usually all about high-end customs here, but not everyone has the budget to put an extreme machine in their garage. And we know that many readers have lightly-customized daily riders—often older bikes that are subtly fettled without compromising practicality too much. Untitled Motorcycles have built customs at both ends of the spectrum, mixing commissions…
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You’d imagine that a company called Mellow builds gentle retro roadsters, or laidback cruisers for old-timers. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. The German workshop Mellow builds ‘machines to escape from madness’—and they have a particular affinity for drag bikes. Last year, they won the Sultans of Sprint series with their ‘Frankenstein’ Ducati.…
Read more »Calum Pryce-Tidd is one of the most methodical and thoughtful bike builders operating in Europe today. And his philosophy is spot on:…
Read more »As someone who spent his teen years with a skateboard under his feet, I see parallels between the skate and custom bike…
Read more »Custom builders must breathe a sigh of relief when a customer drops off a brand new bike. Sure, old motorcycles are simpler…
Read more »You don’t have to be in your 70s to be moved by the sight of a Norton Manx. It’s one of the…
Read more »Triumph’s new Thruxton R is a knockout. Buy one, and you’re getting a drop-dead-gorgeous modern classic with the go to match the…
Read more »When the guys at ICON 1000 aren’t designing gear, they’re working on bikes. The customs that roll out of the Slabtown headquarters…
Read more »It took Triumph a while to update their modern classics, but by all accounts it was worth the wait. We’ve yet to…
Read more »A glorious Thruxton R from Down & Out Motorcycles, a dynamite Ducati from Iron Pirate Garage, and a classy BMW R100 from…
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